The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-06-16

over And some double-tongued Statesmen
who may feel surprised that one who had in
vaded and pervaded your country with al
active armed force. should be asked to receive
your hospitality on an occasion like this, whei
you are porpetuatiDg the sad but heroic mem
cries ne had helped to create.
Wien last was here,
TwENTY-THREE YEARS ago.
these hills had been resounding with tho
dreadful thunder of artillery and the deadly
trampled fields had been redeemed with the
blood of contending armies.
Now, the Shenandoah Valley brims to the
mountain tops with the quiet atmosphere and
sunny glow of peace, and the fields, as far as
the eye can reach are covered with billow
ing mantle of prosperity. (applause.)
Where once, out-posts and pickets were set
to guard my command against brave and
persistent enemy, now stand alone well
coined guest (applause). I thank God and
rienced every vicissitude of war, including
being killed-for I have been half killed
twice-Qaughter) but of all the triumphs I
have ever enjoyed this victory of peace tc-lay
is the grandest and most satisfactory. Gap
plause.)
| Among the
| CAUSES OF THIS NOTABLE EVENT
I recognize, first growing custom which will
| Of of Ill,
cape oblivion when their turn shall come to
stand the test OF remembrance. Secondly,
recognize in my own welcome the highest COM
pliment that you could pay to my command
by remembering that when it was here in
your country fighting for restoration of the
Union and the preservation of our nationality.
it did not attack the defenceless it
fought your soldiers with courage and energy,
but held your homes as far as possible sacred
from the touch of war. (applause.)
Since your invitation to me was announced
I have received letters from many of my Off
GERS and men in different parts of the country,
expressing their qualification at your action.
Your surviving soldiers remember
MY COMMAND;
they remember how when new and untried
it fought your army of West Virginia in
Augusta, '63, at Rocky Gap, near White Sui
phur Springs, without discredit, for twenty
four hours; how it again attacked and routed
that army at Droop Mountain in November
of that year, and you cannot forget how a
portion of my command. $500 mounted men,
penetrated your lines beyond $50 miles, and
destroyed the valuable supplies of Longstreet
and the railroad at Salem and that same
$500, after doing their work of destruction
turned their faces northward and faced the
wintry tempests OF December, '63, and
marched, climbed, slid and swum" through
and around 5000 of your best and bravest,
and escaped capture; how, early in '64, $3.50
of them led their horses in single file over
the mountains of West Virginia and descended
upon the Tennessee railroad near Wythville,
holding in bloody embrace the 5000 of Gen.
John Morgan for four hours, thus preventing
his junction with the forces of Gen. Jenkins
at Dublin, and ensuring the defeat of the latter
at Cloyd Mountain; you all remember our part
in the Lynchburg expedition, and the division
of Ramseur in Early's army, and especially
the Stonewall brigade commanded by the gal
liant General Lilley, (applause) will remember
the loss of their battery and two or three hun
bred men at Carters farm near Winchester,
! in July, ga, and the division of McCausland
cannot forget Moorfeld when it was surprised
at dawn of day on August Sth, ga, and lost
| its battery colors, and a large number of its
| men and horses and my great and good friend,
your gallant soldier Governor will carry
| through life an attestation of our attack on
your left az Winchester on the 10Th of Sep
| TENDER, '64, whereby the brilliant prospects
which awaited the heroic efforts of Earlys
army were turned into hopeless defeat. And
| finally the wonderfully active army of EARLY
and the gallant Lomax, who commanded its
left, at Fishers Hill will recolect the assault
of my division which turned his left and
brought sudden victory to our arms.
| All these membranes are still glowing
and glorious, but above them all shines the
everlasting golden challenge to the men and
women of Virginia to recall an instance where
| fcer or man of my division, without swift and
condign punishment overtaking the offender.
Sweet as the fragrance of flowers will be to my
officers and men this recognition of their dis
! cipline and high sense of duty which you ex-
tend to their commander to-day. My men
proud of their character as soldiers tasted in
those terrible days the first fruits of duty done,
when my division formed part of larger
force and they saw women come to their gates
with white faces and dishevelled hair, and
heard them inquiring of the passing column
for Averell's men to protect them. (great APP
plause.)
Among those who greet me here to-day
observe the beaming faces of gene ration
who must have been too. young to realize the
tremendous struggle of life and death to which
this occasion mainly relates, and whose notions
about its cause and conduct must be dim and
perhaps they sometimes wonder what it was
all about But they need not regret their lack
of understanding, for very few of our leading
men in government, literature, legislation or
politics, at that time, or even this day, have
reached down to the broad and truthful pre-
misses which should underlie any philosophic-
al and
CANDID CONSIDERATION OF THE ORIGIN AND
| RESULTS OF THE WAR.
Not Remembering that that organized aggregate
of humanity called society the parent of gov
eminent, derives its character from the
character of the LABOR that supports it